> Hello everybody!
>
>
> I joined a couple of days ago and wanted to observe the list for a

couple of

> days to get a feel for it. But now it is time to leave the lurking

mood. I'm

> not sure wether a newbie is expected to introduce him/herself in

this

> newsgroup, so I thought I just give you a short intro of myself

combined

> with my first post.
>
> I'm Barbara and I'm a teacher-in-training from Germany. My

subjects are

> biology and chemistry.
>
> I was raised in Christian faith of Lutheran confession (so you

know my

> background). But in recent years, I have developed a lot of

problems with my

> faith and questions that remain unaswered.
>
> For example:
>
> Can we simply ignore "apocryphical" texts and simply trust that

the people

> who chose the books of the New Testimony were inspired by God? And

what

> about the texts *in* the Bible - how realiable are they. What is

the reader

> to make of beings like "angels" and "giants" that are not really

explained

> in the scripture but seem to draw on a longstanding, not-written

tradition.

>
> Are people that have not grown up with a Christian tradition

really destined

> for damnation? If not (and personally I believe so), then it

follows that

> the Christian faith is not the only one that leads to wisdom and

knowledge.

> Is it possible that there is some kind of "higher" truth of which

the

> "traditional" religions give only a glimpse and that can be

reached by

> following different kinds of paths to "enlightment"?
>
> I have always been interested in different kind of religions,

including

> different point of views on Christianity. I guess if you'd demand

an answer

> from me right now, I'd say that I believe that there was a wise

man called

> Jesus who had a big influence on the world. Wether he did miracles

or was

> the "Son of God"... right now I'm too confused to give an answer

to that

> question.
>
> For some reason, maybe because my life has changed so much in the

recent

> years, questions like these have risen up more and more inside of

me, so

> that I've begun to look around and search for different answers.
>
> And I found a lot of ideas, reaching from different religions and

traditions

> to New age ways. The first time I read about gnosticism (not to

long ago) I

> felt for the first time in a long time that something was

beginning to make

> sense to me. I do not claim that I've understood everything that

gnostics

> wrote or said, but what I've read so far makes a lot of sense and

resembles

> several ideas that I have thought of in the past. Currently I am

studying

> what I can find on the net or in books about gnosticism, and texts

like the

> Nag Hammadi or the Thomas evangelium. There is still a lot to

learn, but I'm

> interested and eager.
>
> What I haven't really found out yet is what gnostics "do". It says

that they

> strife to reach "gnosis" - but how does a gnostic do that?

Thinking?

> Meditating? Doing good deeds? I'd love to hear your ideas on that.
>
> Well, I don't want to make this post too long. I hope that I can

learn

> things here and offer to others what I have learned.
>
> Take care,
> Barbara

Hi, Barbara! It's the people who win who get to write the history
books. In my opinion, our New Testament is a perfect example of
this. I tend to believe that St.Paul was a Gnostic and the up-and-
coming Institutional Church had to monkey with his letters and do
some serious "damage control" in order to tame him for Catholicism.
By the way, coming from a Lutheran background, you may be interested
in the writings of the German Gnostic Jacob Boehme, who also started
as a Lutheran. Yours, Steve

pessy@chez.com

... No, J. Boehme was no such thing as a Gnostic. Boehme failed to distinguish Demiurgos and Chrestos Theos. He just wrote some cool stuff like Satanael being

Message 2 of 8
, Jun 6, 2003

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Steve writes:

> Gnostic Jacob Boehme

No, J. Boehme was no such thing as a Gnostic.
Boehme failed to distinguish Demiurgos and Chrestos Theos.
He just wrote some cool stuff like Satanael being the chef of nature.

Klaus Schilling

lady_caritas

Greetings, Barbara, and welcome to the group. We look forward to your future thoughts and comments. Feel free to browse our message board and links section

Message 3 of 8
, Jun 6, 2003

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Greetings, Barbara, and welcome to the group. We look forward to
your future thoughts and comments.

You wrote, "What I haven't really found out yet is what
gnostics "do". It says that they strife to reach "gnosis" - but how
does a gnostic do that? Thinking? Meditating? Doing good deeds? I'd
love to hear your ideas on that."

No doubt Gnostics think and some meditate and some do good deeds, but
not because of any prescribed dogma. Good deeds won't get you
to "heaven," but good deeds might be a result of Gnostic awareness.
This awareness comes through life experience and self-examination and
gaining acquaintance by means of both one's rational and nonrational
natures. Many Gnostics place importance on critical thinking as well
as spiritual experience during the process of Gnosis.

From _The Gospel of Philip_:

"Should not all people who possess all things know themselves
utterly? Now, if some do not know themselves, they will not have the
use of what they possess; but those who have learned about themselves
will do so."

From _The Gospel of Thomas_:

Jesus said, "If those who lead you (plur.) say to you, `See, the
kingdom is in heaven,' then the birds of heaven will precede you. If
they say to you, `It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you.
But the kingdom is inside of you. And it is outside of you.

"When you become acquainted with yourselves, then you will be
recognized. And you will understand that it is you who are children
of the living father. But if you do not become acquainted with
yourselves, then you are in poverty, and it is you who are the
poverty."

Cari

heywood38

Hi Barbera! If you are interested in a very readable book on thie topic of the early Church and how the writings were affected etc. try reading The Jesus

Message 4 of 8
, Jun 7, 2003

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Hi Barbera!

If you are interested in a very readable book on thie topic of the
early Church and how the writings were affected etc. try
reading 'The Jesus Mysteries' by Timothy Freke. this subject is
dealt with from a gnostic perspective, in a very readable format and
the book is widely available (Amazon.com etc).

I am also a newish Gnostic from a Lutheran background (I was a Deaon
of the Church) and struggled with there being 'something more' to my
faith - and that is that that one also needs to 'experience
Divinity' - that Faith alone is not enough for me anymore.

Hope this book choice helps!

Fiat Lux!

Daath40

pessy@chez.com

... don t neglect co-author Gandy. Klaus Schilling

Message 5 of 8
, Jun 7, 2003

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heywood38 writes:

> Hi Barbera!
>
> If you are interested in a very readable book on thie topic of the
> early Church and how the writings were affected etc. try
> reading 'The Jesus Mysteries' by Timothy Freke.

don't neglect co-author Gandy.

Klaus Schilling

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